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Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Over 40 Noida societies lack pollution board nod to operate STPs
NOIDA : An RTI reply has revealed that 43 group housing societies in the city lack the mandatory consent to operate (CTO) for their sewage treatment plants (STPs). CTO is a mandatory authorisation issued by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board ( UPPCB ) under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act. It permits industries, commercial establishments, and group housing societies to operate their facilities while ensuring that their emissions, effluents, and waste management systems comply with environmental standards. Amit Gupta, a resident of Prateek Wisteria in Sector 77, had filed an RTI application on April 29 asking the pollution control board for the list of societies without CTOs, the action taken against them, fines imposed and recovered, and the names of those societies against which cases were filed in the Special Pollution Court in Lucknow. In its reply dated May 20, UPPCB stated that 43 group housing societies did not obtain the required CTO for their STPs. The list included prominent names such as Lotus Boulevard, Supertech Capetown, Sikka Karmic, Logix Blossom County, Antriksh Golf View, Ajnara Grand Heritage, Prateek Wisteria, NRI City Homes, and Logix Blossom Zest, among others. As per the reply, prosecution proceedings have been initiated against 34 of the identified societies. Of these, environmental compensation amounting to Rs 27 crore has been imposed on 30. Notices were sent to the rest. However, the board stated it had no data in its records on how much of the fines were actually recovered. The current status of these cases in the special court was not available with the office. Lack of CTOs does not necessarily mean that societies do not have functional STPs. On the other hand, in some cases, it may also indicate that societies never had STPs to begin with. Additionally, many of them lack Occupancy Certificates (OC) and Completion Certificates (CC), pointing to a major procedural failure. For example, Gupta's society, Prateek Wisteria, does not have a CTO but has had a functional STP since 2019. "A large number of societies do not have CTOs to operate STPs, which suggests that occupancy and completion certificates were issued without the Authority verifying the status of STPs. Of these 43 societies, about 60%-70% are located in sectors 74, 75, 76, 77, and 78. Many of them cannot even install STPs now due to lack of space within the premises and insufficient funds, as the builder has already handed over the project. The Authority should intervene and lay a separate sewage pipeline connecting these societies to the nearest operational STP in Sector 50," Gupta told TOI. Pointing out the lack of coordination between the UPPCB and the Noida Authority, Gupta stated, "The Authority and the pollution control board are not working together on this issue. They conduct inspections separately and impose fines independently. Often, they are not even aware of each other's actions. Also, the responsibility of establishing STPs and obtaining CTOs lies with the builder, as per the law. It is not the responsibility of the AOA." Meanwhile, Noida Authority officials said they are monitoring societies flouting environmental norms. Noida CEO Lokesh M said, "OC/CCs are issued after checking whether societies have facilities such as STPs, fire safety, and lift clearances. It is more of an operational issue, as the societies fail to run these facilities properly after homebuyers start living there. The Authority takes action as public health is at stake. However, it is the pollution control board's primary responsibility to impose fines and take legal action. As far as the Authority is concerned, we will continue with our enforcement drive." In a recent drive, the Authority took action against eight societies that either lacked functional STPs or were discharging untreated sewage into open drains, bypassing norms that require treated water to be released into sewer lines. These included RG Residency in Sector 120, Sikka Karmic in Sector 78, Lotus Boulevard in Sector 100, Lotus Panache in Sector 110, Purvanchal Royal Park in Sector 137, Aims Max Gardenia in Sector 75, Prateek Stylome in Sector 45, and Amrapali Silicon City in Sector 76. The drive also extended to Maharishi Ashram near Lotus Panache. The Authority wrote to the registrar of firms, societies, and chits in Meerut seeking cancellation of registration for both the Ashram and the Panache society. However, the Allahabad High Court stayed coercive action against RG Residency. Noida officials said that an environmental cell has been formed to verify whether STPs have been installed. The cell has been asked to compile data on STPs in all group housing societies. As per rules, all residential societies with a floor area of 20,000 sqm or more must have an STP. No new OC is currently being issued without verifying the CTO for the society's STP, officials added.
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
43 Noida condos lack pollution board nod to operate STPs
Noida: An RTI reply has revealed that 43 group housing societies in the city lack the mandatory consent to operate (CTO) for their sewage treatment plants (STPs). CTO is a mandatory authorisation issued by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act. It permits industries, commercial establishments, and group housing societies to operate their facilities while ensuring that their emissions, effluents, and waste management systems comply with environmental standards. Amit Gupta, a resident of Prateek Wisteria in Sector 77, had filed an RTI application on April 29 asking the pollution control board for the list of societies without CTOs, the action taken against them, fines imposed and recovered, and the names of those societies against which cases were filed in the Special Pollution Court in Lucknow. In its reply dated May 20, UPPCB stated that 43 group housing societies did not obtain the required CTO for their STPs. The list included prominent names such as Lotus Boulevard, Supertech Capetown, Sikka Karmic, Logix Blossom County, Antriksh Golf View, Ajnara Grand Heritage, Prateek Wisteria, NRI City Homes, and Logix Blossom Zest, among others. As per the reply, prosecution proceedings have been initiated against 34 of the identified societies. Of these, environmental compensation amounting to Rs 27 crore has been imposed on 30. Notices were sent to the rest. However, the board stated it had no data in its records on how much of the fines were actually recovered. The current status of these cases in the special court was not available with the office. Lack of CTOs does not necessarily mean that societies do not have functional STPs. On the other hand, in some cases, it may also indicate that societies never had STPs to begin with. Additionally, many of them lack Occupancy Certificates (OC) and Completion Certificates (CC), pointing to a major procedural failure. For example, Gupta's society, Prateek Wisteria, does not have a CTO but has had a functional STP since 2019. "A large number of societies do not have CTOs to operate STPs, which suggests that occupancy and completion certificates were issued without the Authority verifying the status of STPs. Of these 43 societies, about 60%-70% are located in sectors 74, 75, 76, 77, and 78. Many of them cannot even install STPs now due to lack of space within the premises and insufficient funds, as the builder has already handed over the project. The Authority should intervene and lay a separate sewage pipeline connecting these societies to the nearest operational STP in Sector 50," Gupta told TOI. Pointing out the lack of coordination between the UPPCB and the Noida Authority, Gupta stated, "The Authority and the pollution control board are not working together on this issue. They conduct inspections separately and impose fines independently. Often, they are not even aware of each other's actions. Also, the responsibility of establishing STPs and obtaining CTOs lies with the builder, as per the law. It is not the responsibility of the AOA. " Meanwhile, Noida Authority officials said they are monitoring societies flouting environmental norms. Noida CEO Lokesh M said, "OC/CCs are issued after checking whether societies have facilities such as STPs, fire safety, and lift clearances. It is more of an operational issue, as the societies fail to run these facilities properly after homebuyers start living there. The Authority takes action as public health is at stake. However, it is the pollution control board's primary responsibility to impose fines and take legal action. As far as the Authority is concerned, we will continue with our enforcement drive." In a recent drive, the Authority took action against eight societies that either lacked functional STPs or were discharging untreated sewage into open drains, bypassing norms that require treated water to be released into sewer lines. These included RG Residency in Sector 120, Sikka Karmic in Sector 78, Lotus Boulevard in Sector 100, Lotus Panache in Sector 110, Purvanchal Royal Park in Sector 137, Aims Max Gardenia in Sector 75, Prateek Stylome in Sector 45, and Amrapali Silicon City in Sector 76. The drive also extended to Maharishi Ashram near Lotus Panache. The Authority wrote to the registrar of firms, societies, and chits in Meerut seeking cancellation of registration for both the Ashram and the Panache society. However, the Allahabad High Court stayed coercive action against RG Residency. Noida officials said that an environmental cell has been formed to verify whether STPs have been installed. The cell has been asked to compile data on STPs in all group housing societies. As per rules, all residential societies with a floor area of 20,000 sqm or more must have an STP. No new OC is currently being issued without verifying the CTO for the society's STP, officials added.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
UP reports 68% improvement in river, reservoir water quality: UPPCB
Lucknow: Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) undertook a series of effective measures to enhance the water quality of rivers and reservoirs across the state. As a result, UPPCB's 2024 report reveals 68.8% improvement in water purity across state compared to 2023. "This reflects the success of sustained initiatives, stringent monitoring and special campaigns led by the state govt to combat water pollution," said an official. The UPPCB conducted water quality tests at 176 locations throughout the state in 2024, recording improvements at 120 sites. Under flagship initiatives such as the Namami Gange Mission and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Uttar Pradesh ramped up its capacity for wastewater treatment. As of April 2025, a total of 152 STPs have been installed, of which 141 are fully operational and 126 are in compliance with the prescribed environmental standards. While 6 STPs are currently in the testing phase, 15 are expected to reach full operational capacity shortly. Despite this, challenges persist in certain regions. To address these issues, the govt and local administration are working in tandem to ensure full compliance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Salford This Tip Helps Ease Joint Pain Fast Jupiter Labs Learn More Undo In its commitment to enforcing environmental regulations, the UPPCB took strict action against non-compliant STPs. Between Oct 2022 and Apr 2025, environmental fines totalling ₹11.8 crore were imposed on erring STPs. However, only ₹7.30 lakh has been recovered so far, prompting the board to focus on strengthening the penalty recovery mechanism. The CM has placed special emphasis on the restoration and conservation of major rivers, such as Ganga, Yamuna and Gomti, as well as smaller water bodies.
India Today
22-05-2025
- India Today
Why Agra has no place for Taj of sweets
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated May 26, 2025)The smell of syrup in the air, the hot petha rolling out of factories on both sides of the road, their candied memories travelling up and down the country in tiny coloured boxes by road, rail and now air—this is the identity of Agra's Noori Gate area. About seven kilometres from the Taj Mahal, these desi ptisseries also churn out tiny, delicate monuments to the sweetness of composite culture. If the Taj was born in Shah Jahan's mind, legend has it that the petha was born in his royal kitchen—upon a royal firman to create a sweet delicacy as pure and white as the Taj! Marble was traded for white pumpkin, Agra's magic spell was spoken, and voilathe world was suddenly SPIKEDThat magic spell is being broken. The Noori Gate petha manufactories, running unbroken since the Mughal period, have been ordered to shift out of the city. That also breaks other ties with history. In 1929, the revolutionary Bhagat Singh, after shooting down British police officer John Saunders (the Lahore Conspiracy Case that led to his hanging), spent a few days hiding in a two-storey house right here in Noori Gate area. Girish Singhal, 63, lives next to this house, beginning his petha-making career in his two-room abode in 1980. Over 40 years on, he's worried. 'I do not have the resources to go 30 km away and set up business afresh. If there's too much pressure, I'll stop making petha and open a grocery shop but not move.' advertisement Anoop Mittal, 50, another Noori Gate native, conjures up the Gilauri Patta, a special sweet made from petha. 'I make petha on the ground floor of my two-storey house,' he says. 'It's a cottage industry for my family. If I shift out, I won't be able to bear the costs. I'll have to stop.'Noori Gate has over 500 small and big units related to petha production. Over 5,000 people work here, churning out some 1,000 quintals of petha daily. For about three decades, the locality has attracted the attention of disapproving government planners due to an ironic inversion of the petha's relation to the Taj: the fear that pollution caused by this sweet-making industry could be damaging the heritage April 3, the Supreme Court ordered the evacuation of petha units from the city. It was hearing cases related to the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), a designated 10,400 sq. km area around the Taj, established to protect it from pollution. After this, the Agra administration and the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) have started surveying these petha is indeed an issue. After the TTZ was set up in 1983, the use of coal in kilns was banned and petha units adopted gas-based technology. In 2013, the UPPCB imposed a complete ban on the entry of coal-laden trucks into Agra. But problems persisted. According to a 2021 study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the city's petha industry generates about 17,800 kg of solid waste per day, mostly petha peels, sugar syrup and lime water. District officials say a campaign was launched in 2018 to educate petha producers about the importance of proper waste disposal, also granting aid to the big players to procure equipment for it. A large part of the industry, though, falls under the unorganised sector, beyond the pale of government traders deny petha pollution, and say the incriminating data is from a 25-year-old survey. Says Rajesh Agarwal, a leading voice from the organised part of the industry: 'Now all the units run on gas furnaces. The peel was earlier identified as waste, but now they use it as animal feed. They should conduct a fresh survey.'Dr Devashish Bhattacharya, an ENT surgeon who's fighting a case in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against petha pollution, is still sympathetic to their fate. 'If all facilities were provided on time by the government, the petha makers would not have faced any problem,' he says. Now, they face the gloomy prospect of shifting to the New Petha City in Kalindi Vihar, a 1999-vintage plan on which none of the traders were consulted.A bitter end looms to a long to India Today Magazineadvertisement
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Protecting environment a shared responsibility of govt, people: CM
1 2 Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that protecting environment is not just the govt's responsibility, but a shared duty of the entire society. "The goal to increase the state's green cover to 20% by 2030 will only be successful if tree plantation becomes a people's movement," the CM said while addressing a high-level review meeting of the department of environment, forest and climate change, and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB). He directed officials to ensure full preparation, coordination, and public participation for the upcoming plantation drive, scheduled from July 1 to 7. As part of this campaign, the state aims to plant 35 crore saplings in 2025. Yogi directed ministers of both the departments to conduct thorough reviews of pre-plantation preparations and to keep a minimum of 50 crore saplings ready in nurseries. He said that the plantation include a wide variety of species—fruit-bearing, shade-giving, medicinal, and timber trees—to ensure maximum biodiversity . The CM also highlighted the implementation of a comprehensive 'River Rejuvenation Campaign' which will include plantation along both banks of major rivers in the state. "Planned plantations will be undertaken along vacant lands on both sides of expressways — whether under construction, proposed, or operational," he said. Highlighting the issue of excessive silt in rivers coming from Nepal, Yogi called for exploring the possibility of river channelization. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tukarkan Bitcoin dan Ethereum - Tanpa Dompet Diperlukan! IC Markets MULAI SEKARANG Undo He directed that reputed institutions like IIMs be engaged to analyse the multi-dimensional impact of the campaign. "UP is rich in biodiversity. Every district has its own unique features and there is the need to properly document all these elements. A 'biodiversity register' should be prepared in every gram panchayat and urban local body," he said. The CM said that 'Green Chaupals' should be organised in all gram panchayats and urban bodies across Uttar Pradesh to promote eco-friendly lifestyles, encourage agroforestry and sustainable farming models, and revive traditional environmental knowledge. He said that at least one 'village forest' (gram van) must be established in every village. Addressing human-wildlife conflict as a highly sensitive issue, the CM instructed officials to install solar fencing in districts like Bahraich, Lakhimpur Kheri, Pilibhit, and Bijnor. He said that vacant posts in all forest service cadres be filled promptly. While reviewing the status of Kukrail Night Safari, the CM instructed that the contractor selection process be completed within a week. He appreciated the concept of the proposed forestry and horticulture university and said that its infrastructure should reflect its core theme. The CM expressed happiness over the fact that out of the 6,327 Gangetic dolphins found in India, 2,397 are in Uttar Pradesh.
